Two of the top teams in the ongoing Women’s World Cup 2025, Australia and England, will take on each other in the 23rd game of the tournament. Both Australia and England have been unbeaten in the tournament so far, which makes this game an interesting and eye-pleasing World Cup clash to watch out for. The Women’s World Cup 2025 continues, and we are now in the 23rd match of the tournament. The Australian women’s team will face the England women’s team at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.
There’s a very high possibility that Australia and England will face each other in the 2025 World Cup semifinal or maybe the final. History does suggest that. They have taken on each other nine times in World Cup knockout fixtures across formats with the most recent one coming in the last ODI World Cup final.
AUS -W vs ENG -W : Previous Performances
Australia are on a roll. The defending champions have outplayed their opponents every time, winning three consecutive matches after the abandoned match against Sri Lanka in Colombo.The defending champions, Australia Women, have been in a sensational run of form in the ongoing Women’s World Cup 2025, with four wins and a no-result game in their five matches so far in the tournament.
They are coming off an amazing 10-wicket win against Bangladesh Women in the previous game, following a thrilling three-wicket win against the hosts, India. Currently, the Aussie Women are leading the points table, with nine points to their name and a brilliant net run rate of 1.818.
Alyssa Healy obliterated England in that game with a stunning 170. And she has just hit two centuries in her last two games now looking in ominous touch. But in a temporary relief, England will not be bowling to her on Wednesday after she was ruled out of the fixture.
Both teams wouldn’t want anymore potential injuries coming to the business end of the tournament. After this game, they both have just one more game left each ahead of the knockouts. While one might anticipate a sense of calm before the actual storm, Indore might actually pave the way for fireworks given the history of the venue.
Australia recovered from 192/6 in their first game to post 326 at this venue. South Africa took less than 41 overs to chase down 232. Just two days ago, India and England played out a high-scoring thriller that saw over 570 runs being scored.
There’s also a bit of pride at stake in this contest that doesn’t have a lot riding on it in the larger scheme of things. These two are the only teams that are still unbeaten in the competition. Australia did suffer minor blips against New Zealand and Pakistan before eventually crushing them. They chased down 331 against India before decimating Bangladesh.
England on the other hand kickstarted their campaign with a flawless performance against South Africa before stuttering against the likes of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka uncharacteristically. After eventually getting over the line, England managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat to beat India in their most recent game. However, by the end of the night on Wednesday, one of these two giants will finally no longer stay unbeaten.
On the other hand, England made it to the semi-finals with their recent win over India Women at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. They successfully defended the target of 288 runs. England Women must rise to the occasion and deliver effective performances against a strong Australian bowling attack, as the top 4 have not been consistent in recent matches.
On the other hand, England Women are not too far from Australia in the tournament’s current edition. The Englishwomen are also unbeaten in the tournament so far, with four wins and a no-result game in the five fixtures. They are coming off a thrilling four-run win against the hosts, India Women. England will aim to beat Australia Women in this game and move to the top spot in the tournament standings.
AUS -W vs ENG -W : Head-to-Head in Women’s ODIs
In the last five head-to-head contests, the Australia Women have dominated the England Women with four wins, while the England Women have won one game. So, the Aussies will aim to continue their dominance against England, while the latter will eye increasing the number of their wins against Australia in this head-to-head rivalry.Australia have won 61 out of the 89 matches with England winning only 24.
| Matches Played | 89 |
| AUS-W Won | 61 |
| ENG-W Won | 24 |
| No Result | 03 |
| Tied | 01 |
| First-Ever Fixture | July 28, 1973 (ENG-W Won) |
| Most-Recent Fixture | January 17, 2025 (AUS-W Won) |
AUS -W vs ENG -W : Pitch and Weather Report
The Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore is known for its batting-friendly conditions, and the upcoming fixture is expected to follow suit. With a flat pitch and quick outfield, batters will have the opportunity to build big scores, provided they begin with caution and read the conditions well. For bowlers, discipline will be crucial. Maintaining tight lines and lengths, especially in the powerplay and middle overs, can create pressure and force errors.
The Holkar surface is traditionally batting-friendly with short square boundaries, but there’s a thin layer of morning moisture that could offer brief movement to the new-ball bowlers. The weather is expected to be warm, with light humidity, and a clear evening is expected, with the temperatures hovering around 31 degrees Celsius, perfect for high scoring.
The Holkar Cricket Stadium is known for its flat, true, and batter-friendly pitch. The surface offers even bounce with minimal seam movement, favoring stroke-makers. Past matches indicate high-scoring games are likely, with teams often posting or chasing substantial totals. Dew in the evening may benefit chasing teams, making the toss crucial. Spinners might get some purchase as the match progresses, but pace bowlers will depend more on variations than swing.
This makes the Holkar Stadium a venue where both teams will look to capitalize on strong batting performances while trying to keep pressure through disciplined bowling and fielding. Winning the toss and opting to chase could be a strategic advantage, as seen in previous matches at this ground.
Expect a 300+ total if the top order fires.A black-soil pitch will be used for this fixture. It is expected to be flat. This track is right next to the red-soil one that was used for India vs England. It is the centre pitch at the venue, so expect the square boundaries to be more-or-less equidistant. Indore is expected to be humid and a little cloudy, with a slight probability of rain. There is no threat of a washout, however. Clear skies for starters. Given the quality both teams have, expect another high-scoring fixture in this batting-friendly venue.
AUS -W vs ENG-W : Big Picture : First defeat in store, but for whom Australia or England ?
Australia and England. Two powerhouses of women’s cricket. Two sides that know how to push oppositions back to the wall. They will clash at Holkar Stadium on Wednesday, at the end of which only one will remain undefeated at the Women’s World Cup 2025. Both teams have already secured their semi-final spots.
On paper, Australia sure have the edge. But England would quietly be confident ahead of this contest for two reasons. One, they played in Indore only a couple of days ago. And two, Australia are coming back after a six-day gap.
Australia trained on each of the two days leading up to the contest. Their last two games were ones where the top order (read Alyssa Healy) flexed their muscles. Healy scored back-to-back centuries but she is out with a minor calf strain she picked up when Australia had a fitness session on Saturday morning. Their senior pros in Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney have stepped up in different games.
Only Tahlia McGrath, who has aggregated 43 in three innings, is yet to fire but captaincy could be the right potion for her. She revels under responsibility, and freed of the baggage of worrying about qualification, she could well join the party in batting-friendly conditions. There is little concern in their bowling.
Which may make England rethink their strategies. Amy Jones, Heather Knight and Nat Sciver-Brunt have had at least one big innings with the bat. But the others haven’t yet stepped up. England’s lower-middle order has been a concern: Nos. 5 to 7 average only 9.25 at this World Cup, the lowest among all teams. At the start of the year, England also lost the multi-format Women’s Ashes 16-0, unable to win a single game. But their leadership has undergone a change since and they will look to turn a leaf on that episode.
Charlotte Edwards’ tactics and Sciver-Brunt’s captaincy have served them well. Their come-from-behind win against India would only act as a further boost. They will perhaps play scant respect to the fact that they have lost each of the five meetings against Australia in India. While teams often maintain that “the past doesn’t matter”, Sciver-Brunt would want to pay Australia back after her heroics went in vain at the 2022 World Cup final. A small step will be on Wednesday, when one of the teams will have a first taste of defeat at this World Cup.
AUS -W vs ENG -W : In the spotlight: Amy Jones
Amy Jones was a little surprised when Edwards first mentioned that she could be back to opening the batting for England. She had played in the middle order for a good part of the last five years. She showed her hunger at home against West Indies but it wasn’t until her half-century against India that she made her presence felt at this World Cup.
“I thought at the halfway stage of the tournament, it was a rocky phase,” Jones said.
“I have been riding a wave of ups and down with opening, as you do in cricket. But I was pleased to get a bit of a start last game.” Australia better beware.
AUS -W vs ENG -W : Vital Stats that matters
- Mooney is 89 away from 3000 ODI runs. She will be the seventh from Australia to the mark
- Among bowlers, Megan Schutt is three wickets away from leapfrogging Lisa Sthalekar (146) to third on the ODI wicket charts for Australia. She also has 38 wickets in ODI World Cups and needs two more to go past Lyn Fullston as the leading wicket-taker for Australia in the tournament.
- Sciver-Brunt is four away from 1000 ODI World Cup runs. She will be the third from England to get there
- Sophie Ecclestone is two away from becoming England’s second-leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket. Jenny Gunn has 136 while Ecclestone has 135. One more wicket will push Ecclestone into the top five among wicket-takers in all women’s internationals. She is currently level on 317 with Shabnim Ismail.
AUS -W vs ENG -W : Team News for Australia and England
Australia :
Healy’s injury makes it a straight swap for Georgia Voll at the top with Mooney to keep wickets. Australia could also bring back left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux after she was rested for the Bangladesh game.Alyssa Healy’s minor calf injury has ruled her out of this fixture. Beth Mooney will be keeping wickets and Georgia Voll is expected to make her World Cup debut.
Australia Probable XI: Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney (wk) , Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath (c), Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown
England :
England are not expected to tinker with their XI.England may consider bringing Danni Wyatt-Hodge in place of either of Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey or Emma Lamb. The trio has been low on runs and England would not want to take chances against a strong Australian team.
England Probable XI : Amy Jones (wk), Tammy Beaumont, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell
AUS -W vs ENG -W : Probable Top Performers
Probable Best Batter: Phoebe Litchfield
With Healy absent, the onus will now be on Phoebe Litchfield to lay the platform with the bat for Australia. She is coming on the back of 84 not out against Bangladesh. The flat surface in Indore will only play into her hands. England have a plethora of spinners, and Litchfield is a superb exponent of the sweep and the reverse sweep. She showed a glimpse of that in Australia’s opening match at this venue, now it’s time for a longer exhibition.
Australian opener Phoebe Litchfield could be the pivotal batter in the upcoming clash against England. After a slow start to the tournament, Litchfield has found her rhythm and is now scoring runs with fluency and confidence. She has accumulated 179 runs from four matches, showcasing her ability to anchor the innings and accelerate when needed.
Probable Best Bowler: Sophie Ecclestone
England’s left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone is expected to play a pivotal role in the high-voltage clash against Australia Women. With 10 wickets in four matches in the global tournament thus far, Ecclestone has been both incisive and economical, delivering breakthroughs at crucial junctures. Her ability to maintain tight lines and vary her turn makes her a constant threat.
AUS -W vs ENG -W : Match Prediction
Case 1:
- England Women wins the toss and bowls first
- Australia Women’s powerplay score: 60-70
- Australia Women’s total score: 310-320
Case 2:
- Australia Women wins the toss and bowls first
- England Women’s powerplay score: 50-60
- England Women’s total score: 290-300
Match result: Team bowling first to win the game.
Also Read: Women’s ODI World Cup 2025: A Plot Twist No One Saw Coming